


Shut your mouth!

by LuvySR



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-03-30 19:43:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3949285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvySR/pseuds/LuvySR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yata always has been unable to talk to girls because of his shyness but since [Y/N] arrived at Homra and told him to shut up, he has never stopped to argue with her. In a way, he's talking to a girl, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What's going on?

**Author's Note:**

> [Y/N] - your name  
> [H/C] - hair color

         _'Shit! Why did this have to happen to me?'_ [Y/N] thought as she ran through the streets of Shizume City trying to shake off her pursuers. Her day went from nothing, to bad, to worse. She had only left home for a moment to go shopping and now she was running for her life a second time. Why did she have to be so clumsy to crash into him?

 -  -  -  -  -  - 1 hr earlier -  -  -  -  -  -

        "Ryu-chan, I'm going to buy something for dinner. Do you need anything?" [Y/N]  said to her brother as she put on her coat.

        "No thanks," replied the young man without taking his eyes off the television.  
  
        Sighing with resignation the girl finished wrapping up warm. Ryu had been acting weird the last few weeks. Lately he barely left the house. Normally she would always have go look for him wherever he was, in order to eat dinner together. Besides, he was less communicative, as if he was concerned about something.  _'What can I do to help you Ryu? If you don't tell me I can't guess'_ [Y/N] thought taking her purse. She took the keys and left the apartment after taking one last glance at her brother. How she would wish that he trusted her more!  
  
        She had just crossed a couple of streets when she began to feel stares. She turned around and saw no one, she thought it was just her imagination and kept walking until a shop's window caught her attention.  _'Those skates will definitely fit Ryu. Maybe he'll start to hang out with his friends again. Oh, that blue is also so pretty. What he would prefer...?'_  she stopped and swallowed hard seeing two men dressed in black looking at her in the reflection.  _'Relax [Y/N], they may have just stopped there by chance. There's nothing to worry about. Come on, turn around and keep walking'_. When she finally turned around to look, the two men were gone. However, her heart kept beating fast. Feeling restless, she began to walk briskly to the supermarket.  
  
        After a while without seeing anyone, she was beginning to relax when someone came from behind and covered her mouth, pushing her into an alley where one of the men in black was waiting. She assumed that the one holding her was the other man.  _'Who the hell are they? What do they want from me?'_  [Y/N] did not understand anything.  
  
        "Well, well, well, look what we have here. Ryunosuke's sweet little sister. I guess now he'll come to his senses", said stranger A as he took a lock of the [H/C] hair of the girl. She tried to pull away but the other stranger, B, was still holding her.  
  
_'How do they know Ryu? I doubt they're his friends'_. [Y/N] was thinking what would be the best course of action to use in this situation. If she showed resistance to them, they might hurt her but.... what if she didn't? But who said they wouldn't do anything to her if she was quiet? Should she try scream for help?. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard stranger B answering his partner.  
"If not, we can always have some fun with her"  
   
        She definitely needed to flee. Taking advantage of the fact that the men were too engaged in a discussion about what to do with her, she bit the hand of the stranger that held her and kneed the other one in the crotch. In the few seconds it took the two men to register what happened, she was already running.  
  
        Since [Y/N] was never an athletic person, she wasn't sure if she could run long enough to lose them, but she had to try. Several times she almost crashed into pedestrians in her flight, but managed to dodge them by a few centimeters.  
After several minutes of changing directions, she looked back and saw that she had gotten the upper hand in this situation. She turned around again to go into another alley, but crashed into someone.  
  
        "I-I'm sorry. I ..." the apology from the girl died within her throat when she saw against who she had crashed into. 185cm, a black jacket with a white shirt underneath, fire-red hair and golden eyes that were staring right at her. Suoh Mikoto, the Red King.  
  
        The girl began to back away from him.  _'Why did I have to crash into him out of all the people in Shizume City?. He seems pissed',_  [Y/N]   backed away until she felt the wall behind her. Now she was terrified. As if not having to flee from thugs without knowing why they were chasing her was already bad enough, but arousing the Red King's wrath was worse. She knew that Mikoto and his clan, HOMRA are able to control fire. She had also heard that he was easily angered and burned his victims until there was nothing left. 'No blood, No Bone, No Ash'. That was HOMRA's motto. Suoh Mikoto is definitely not the person you would want to piss off.  
  
        [Y/N] looked at how the Red King was approaching her with a scowl. She looked around for someone to help her but there were only the HOMRA clansmen and a doll-like girl with white hair. She doubted the girl would be able to help her. Terrified, [Y/N] pressed herself against the wall as if she could escape from the fiery gaze of the Red King.  
  
        "Mikoto, you're scari ...", a blond man holding a camera in his hand began to say.  
  
        [Y/N] didn't hear what they were saying because her pursuers just arrived at the alley where they were. Mikoto stopped his advance and watched the two men, completely ignoring the girl. He was beginning to get the idea of what was happening. [Y/N] took that moment to resume her escape, soon she heard someone calling for her to stop and she saw that the blond man with the camera had begun to follow her. Soon after, another blond man with glasses joined him.

 -  -  -  -  -  -

        After several minutes, [Y/N] who tired from running so much, looked back to see how much she distanced herself from her new pursuers and was surprised to see that there was no one following her. She stopped and leaned against the wall trying to catch her breath. Once she managed to calm her heart down a little, she called her brother to make sure he was okay.

         _'Come on Ryu, pick up the fucking phone'_. As the beeps continued to ring, [Y/N] was getting more and more worried. When she was just about to hang up, he finally picked up the phone.  
  
        "Ryu? Is that you? Why didn't answer the phone faster? Are you okay? Ryu?" she asked quickly without giving time to hear the person's reply.  
  
        "Hey, slow down. Of course It's me, what happened? Shouldn't you be back by now?".  
  
         [Y/N] allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief after hearing the voice of her brother.  
  
        "A-Are you really okay? I-I ... These two men w-where following m-me and t-they said something about you. I ran away, t-then I crashed into the Red King  and I h-had to run again. I-I... I was s-so scared...", she said, trembling.  
  
        "Stop. I can't understand what you just said. You said you were followed? Are you okay?" Ryu sounded scared.  
  
        "Y-yes, I'm fine" [Y/N] began to relax a little. "There were two men in black suits, one of t-them wore glasses and said something a-about ... making you come to your senses. Ryu, what's happening?"  
  
        "Shhh, relax. Don't worry. I got this. Are you still wearing the necklace?"  
  
        [Y/N] touched the necklace before answering.  _'What does the necklace have to do with any of this?'_ , the necklace is a earth globe and binoculars. Ryu had given it to her for her 18th birthday. When he gave it to her, Ryu asked to her to promise him that she'll always be carrying it. She didn't bother to care, always liked travel, she thought that the necklace represented herself, and she also thought it was cute. But, why would Ryu care for a simple necklace?  
  
        "Yes, of course I have it, why? What does it have to do with this?"  
  
        "Nothing, just take care of it. It's important to me that you have it." the tone with which he spoke scared [Y/N], it sounded as if he was saying goodbye.  
  
        "Ryu-chan? You're scaring me. Who were those men? What is it that they want?"  
  
        "[Y/N] promise me you won't come home today"  
  
        "What ...?"  
  
        "Promise me" Ryu repeated.  
  
        "B-but ..."  
  
        "Just promise me, please!"  
  
        "B-bu..."  
  
        "[Y/N]... nothing will happen. I promise I'll be fine. Just stay at a friend's house or somewhere tonight. I'll explain everything to you tomorrow, okay? But you have to promise you won't come home today "  
  
        "...........fine you win", [Y/N] replied in defeat. Ryu was more stubborn than she was, and would win all their arguments. "But I'll be home  tomorrow morning, and I want you to explain to me what's happening. "  
  
        "Done. I love you Sis"  
  
        "I love you too Ryu-chan"  
  
        * _Click_ *

        When the call was over, [Y/N] dropped to the ground and buried her head between her knees. What should she do? Go home or go to one of her friends? But she doesn't want any of them involved in whatever this is. So her only option was to rent a room somewhere. Would Ryu will be okay? She has a bad feeling about this.  
  
        "Are you okay?"  
  
        [Y/N] was startled to hear someone talk to her. She was so deep in thought that she didn't hear him approach her. She looked up and found worried brown eyes staring at her.  _'Damn. It's the camera guy, my day can't get any worse than this',_  now that she looked at him properly, she noticed that his hair wasn't blonde, it was a light brown.  _'Oh great [Y/N], such a useful thought. They're going to kill you and you're thinking about his hair color_ '.  
  
        "I'm Totsuka, Tatara. We saw each other earlier. Are you okay?" the boy said, smiling kindly.  
  
        [Y/N] just nodded.  _'What kind of trick is this? He seems like a good person, but he's with HOMRA. He's one of them, right?'_  she thought in dismay.  
  
        "No need to be afraid. We've already taken care of the two men who were chasing you, so you don't have to be afraid anymore. Do you want me to walk you home?"  
  
        [Y/N]'s face of astonishment  was priceless. Was he trying to help her?  
  
        "N-no. I can't go home....", was all she said.  
  
        "Oh, then why don't you come with us? We'll make sure nothing happens to you."  
  
        "...?" [Y/N] looked at him with skepticism.  
  
        "Do you want to?"  
  
        "B-but you all... I-I ... I didn't do it on purpose. I-I didn't see him."  
  
        "Is that what's bothering you?" Tatara laughed.  
  
        "I don't see what's so funny", [Y/N] replied sharply. "Forgive the mere mortals in fear for our lives when the Red Devil is mad at us" she muttered.  
  
        "Red Devil? You mean Mikoto?"  
  
        [Y/N] nodded.  
  
        "He's not mad at you."  
  
        "If you say so ..."  
  
        "I'm serious. He always seems to be angry with everyone, so don't hold it against him."  
  
        [Y/N] began to believe him. Tatara seemed to be serious.  
  
        "So why you and the other man chase after me?"  
  
        "You left running, like a bat out of hell and I just wanted to make sure you were fine. Actually, Izumo, the other man, was following after me. HOMRA is always worried about me since I'm the only one who doesn't fight. Those guys didn't do anything to you, right? "  
  
        "Oh, no. I'm fine, thanks", [Y/N] didn't know what else to say. She lost half an hour from running from someone who just wanted to know if she was okay. She felt ashamed.  
  
        "Come", Tatara said, offering his hand.  
  
        "..........?"  
  
        "You said you can't go home", he said smiling.  
  
        [Y/N] reluctantly took his hand and stood up. He was really friendly, kind of like a person that everybody can trust without needing to get to know him more. Besides, it's not like she had anywhere to go and if the two black suit men came back, she preferred not to be alone.  
  
        "Where are we going?", she asked the kind male.  
  
        "Isn't obvious? We're going to HOMRA",  Tatara replied smiling.

 

 


	2. Introductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [L/N] - last name

        When they entered HOMRA, [Y/N] looked around nervously. Mikoto was lying on a couch with the white-haired girl by his side,  _'Anna'_. Tatara had told her that Mikoto had been taking care of her for a couple of years now. Izumo, the blond who was running behind Tatara, was behind the bar and in front of him, were three other guys sitting.

        "We're here!", Tatara said.  
  
        Everyone turned to look at them. [Y/N] waved her hand timidly beginning to reconsider whether it had been a good idea to come. While the others greeted back, Anna got up and approached her. [Y/N] was surprised to see the small girl hugging her waist and saying, "I've been waiting for you."  
  
         _'What does she mean by,"I've been waiting for you"?'_. From the way the others looked at the red-eyed girl, they also didn't know what she was talking about. [Y/N] without knowing what she was suppose to say, wrapped her arms around the little girl returning the hug.  
After a while, Anna backed away from her and walked back to Mikoto.  
  
        "She's staying."  
  
        Mikoto nodded.  
  
        "Then she'll need a room, Izumo?"  
  
        "I'm coming", the blond approached [Y/N] and told her to follow him.  
  
         _'Just like that?'_  to [Y/N] the situation seemed a bit unlikely. She was surprised by the fact that they did what the little girl said. Anna was a Strain. Tatara had told her that Anna was very important to HOMRA. Everybody loved her and also, her powers were very helpful. Among others, Anna was able to locate people, detect lies and see a glimpse of the future.  _'Did she see mines? Is that what she meant?'_  the girl wondered as she followed Izumo.  
  
        As she had nothing else than her purse, [Y/N] had nothing to leave in the room, so Izumo just told her what room she will be staying and then they returned to the main floor. Another boy walked into the pub and [Y/N] was surprised to see a familiar face.  
  
        "Kōsuke?", she asked.  
  
        "[Y/N] ???? What are you doing here?", Kōsuke asked.  
  
        "It's a long story.", [Y/N] answered. She didn't want to have to tell what happened.  
  
        [Y/N] was going to ask if he was a HOMRA member, when one of the guys who were sitting at the bar approached and interrupted them.  
  
        "Kōsuke, you know that it's rude to monopolize the lady when she just arrived? We also want to talk to her", the boy said while winking at [Y/N]. "I haven't introduce myself yet. I'm Chitose, Yō." He said as he took the girl's hand and kissed her knuckle. "Nice to meet you"  
  
        [Y/N] blushed and muttered a "Nice to meet you too", as she removed her hand from his. He caught her off guard. Behind the bar counter, Izumo smiled seeing how [Y/N] subtly rejected Chitose.  
  
        "So you both knew each other before?", Chitose asked.  
  
        "She's the sister of an old friend.", said the redhead. "Now that I think about it, how is your-?"  
  
        "Do you have ice cream?", [Y/N] quickly cut him off since she didn't want to talk about Ryu now, so she pretended she hadn't heard him and blurted the first thing that came into her mind. She was worried about her brother and didn't want to talk about it. She knew that if she did, she wouldn't be able to wait until tomorrow to go home. Luckily for her, Kōsuke didn't ask again.  
  
        It turned out that Anna had a sweet tooth so Izumo had buckets of ice cream of all flavors. Soon the two girls were eating ice cream next to the two boys who were still seated at the bar. They presented themselves as Surt, Eric and Dewa, Masaomi.

 -  -  -  -  -  -

        As [Y/N] was talking to Eric, the bar door opened again and another group of guys came.  _'More people? How many of them are there? I didn't know that HOMRA was so big',_ the girl turned around and looked at the newcomers.

        The first one she noticed, was a bit shorter than the others. He was carrying a skateboard and appeared to be discussing something with a blond guy who was at his side, and was a head taller than him. Behind them were two other boys, one with brown hair wearing a cap who reminds [Y/N] of her brother. The other one, wore sunglasses and the hood of his sweatshirt atop a cap.  
  
        "Oi, Yata. Aren't you going to say hello to our new friend?", Izumo asked mischievously.  
  
        [Y/N] thought she heard Eric, who didn't bother to see who came in, click his tongue at the name. The skater boy stopped his discussion with the blond big man and looked at Izumo without understanding what he meant. [Y/N] assumed he was Yata. Izumo jerked his head toward her and the boy looked at her, blushing instantly. Seeing as the boy's cheeks stained red, [Y/N] thought he was cute.  
  
        "H-hi", was all he said.  
  
        [Y/N] smiled and waved back, which made the auburn-haired boy blushed even more and looked away. The others watched the funny redhead's reactions.  
  
        "[Y/N]'s going to stay here tonight. So behave yourself", Izumo continued with a smile that rivaled with the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. He seemed to be who had the most fun by making the boy blush.  
  
        "I-I don't ... I-I ....", the boy tried to say something in his defense but he was too nervous.  
  
        "I'm Kamamoto, Rikio", interrupted the blond boy who had entered with him, heading to [Y/N].  
  
        "[L/N], [Y/N]", the girl said as she shook Kamamoto's hand. She had noticed that the boy helped his friend who continued looking the other way out.  
  
        "He's Yata", he said, pointing him. "And they are ..."  
  
        "Bandō, Saburota", ended the boy with glasses and hood. "And he is Shōhei" he said, pointing at the boy who looked like Ryu.  
  
        "And with that we all know each other!", Tatara happily exclaimed.  
  
        [Y/N] was startled to hear him. When did he get behind her? A few seconds ago he was on the couch with Mikoto. Turning around, [Y/N] saw that he was recording.  
  
        "I'm keeping memories", Tatara said to her smiling, before she could ask.  
  
        Anna caught her attention again by pointing to a new bowl of ice cream. [Y/N] smiled tenderly at the red-eyed girl and looked around.  _'They aren't so scary as people say they would be'_  she thought, and unconsciously smiled again. She didn't notice, but Tatara, who immortalized the moment with his camcorder, did.

 -  -  -  -  -  -

        A couple of hours later, the boys began to go home and the bar now was quieter. Mikoto, resting on his usual couch, was looking how Anna and Tatara played a board game. Izumo was closing the bar while [Y/N] was collecting the boxes of pizza that they had ordered for dinner, and Yata had gone to his room as soon as they finished eating. Izumo told her that the auburn-haired boy was living with them since his flatmate and best friend had betrayed them and gone to Scepter 4, the blue clan.

  
        "I think I'm gonna go to sleep", said [Y/N] to the guys.  
  
        "So soon?", Tatara asked.  
  
        The truth was that now that the others had left, the concern for her brother, returned to bother her again. Would her brother be fine? All afternoon, she was distracted by the stories the boys told her about how they had joined HOMRA. From what she had heard, she had discovered that although they loved getting into trouble and don't precisely solve their disputes peacefully, they cared for the one another. In fact, she was surprised by Eric's story because after all, they had accepted him without rancor,  _'As a family'_.  
  
        "Yeah, I just ... I just need to rest a little", she replied trying to smile. However, the looks they gave her, let her know that they weren't convinced.  
  
        "Come on. Let's get you something to wear to sleep", Mikoto said getting up.  
  
        [Y/N] raised an eyebrow in surprise.  
  
        "Come on", Mikoto said while ruffling the girl's hair.  
  
        [Y/N] followed him trying to understand the reason for that affectionate gesture.  _'Is this the evil Red King that burn his victims?'_. A giggle escaped her lips and Mikoto turned to her .  
  
        "What's so funny?"  
  
        "Nothing. It's just ... you aren't as scary as people say"  
  
        Mikoto stopped and opened a door inviting her to pass before answering.  
  
        "Don't believe everything they say"  
  
        The girl came in and saw that it was a decorated room, of course, in various shades of red. Mikoto opened a cupboard and threw something at her. [Y/N] picked it up and when she saw it was a men's white t-shirt, she began to blush.  _'I should've realized that the only girl here is Anna and I doubt that her clothes fit me'._  
  
        "T-thank you", she whispered.  
  
        "When you wake up, go downstairs for breakfast", Mikoto said leaving the room. "Goodnight, kiddo"  
  
        "Goodnight Mikoto", said [Y/N], watching Mikoto go back downstairs.  
 

 -  -  Few minutes earlier, at the pub  -  -

        Anna smiled as she watched Mikoto go upstairs with [Y/N].  
 

        "It seems like that girl affected him too", Izumo said as he polish the vessels that were already shining.  
  
        Tatara and Anna nodded. Mikoto never showed affection with anyone except Anna and the way he ruffled [Y/N]'s hair was very similar to like any big brother to his little sister.  
  
        "Although I think it would've been better that Yata lent her something instead since  they are more or less the same height", stated Tatara.  
  
        "We can try it next time", said the blonde from the bar, smiling.  
  
        "I doubt it. She's leaving tomorrow", Tatara recalled sadly. He had grown fond of her.  
  
        "No. She's not leaving", said Anna, startling the two men.  
  
        "What do you mean?", Tatara asked.  
  
        Anna shrugged. She didn't know exactly. She only saw small glimpse of her future from different times, most of them not making any sense. She recognized the girl at the alley but she didn't have time to say anything. Since she first saw her in one of her visions, she was hoping to find her.  
  
        "I just know that she's going to need us", she replied.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're curious about Eric's story, you can read it in the manga 'K: Memory of Red' (chapters 4 and 5). I think it's only in Japanese but you can find some fan translations on the net.


	3. Welcome to HOMRA

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [*____*] - favourite ____

        [Y/N] tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were heavy. She wasn't able to sleep until late at night so she was really tired. After blinking a few times to try to open her eyes, she couldn't and gave up trying. Deciding she could sleep a little longer, she returned to burying her head in the pillow as she embraced it.  _'Just a few more minutes. I don't think Ryu cares'_. However, her stomach seems to mind because when she was beginning to fall asleep again, it started to roar.

        Giving in to the hunger, she slowly got up and walked down the stairs while rubbing her eyes.  _'I could always sleep a bit more after breakfast. I don't know what time it is, but Ryu always gets up late, so I'll still get up before he..._ _'_  
  
        * _Crash_ *  
  
        [Y/N] stopped short when she heard glass hit the ground. It was later than she had believed and HOMRA's clansmen were already at the bar. Why were they all looking at her? She looked down at the floor to try to find a logical explanation. That's when she realized what it was and started to blush. She was just wearing Mikoto's shirt!  _'But nothing is showing! It almost reaches my knees. It's like a nightgown! Why are they looking at me like that? '_.  
  
        "W-Why a-are you w-wearing Mikoto's s-shirt?", a blushing Yata asked, looking anywhere but her.  
  
        "Isn't it obvious?", Chitose replied in sly voice. "The King and [Y/N] spent the nig-"  
  
        Chitose couldn't finish his sentence because Masaomi's hand covered his mouth. Yata's blush was nothing compared with the scarlet red cheeks she had acquired  after knowing that everyone thought she had spent the night with Mikoto.  
  
        "N-not ... I d-didn't ... Mikoto j-just", the girl sought to find the right words to explain the misunderstanding. Looking around she noticed Izumo seemed to be having a good time."I-Izumo tell t-them You were also there!"  
  
        Bad choice of words.  
  
        "Wow! With Izumo and Mik-mghjtg?"  
  
        "Sorry! I have him again!", Masaomi said, covering Chitose's mouth again.  
  
        [Y/N] looked at Izumo waiting for him to help her, but the blond was too busy laughing.  _'I'll kill you'_. She turned around to go change her clothes and met Mikoto who just came downstairs at the right time.  
  
        "Why don't you guys stop making so much noise? I was sleeping", he growled annoyed.  
  
        All fell silent and began to look away from their king. Well, everyone except Izumo, who kept laughing while holding his ribs.  
  
        "...?" Mikoto stared at the blond, waiting for him to give him an explanation of why they had interrupted his sleep. Izumo wiped away a tear and tried to compose himself.  
  
        "Our clan is full of perverts. They think ...", Izumo stopped, trying to contain another attack of laughter. The situation was too absurd. "They think [Y/N] spent the night with you", he finished.  
  
        "Why would they ...?" Mikoto stopped to look at the girl, realizing that she was only wearing his shirt. The red-headed snorted, "Go upstairs to change. I'll deal with these idiots"  
  
        [Y/N] nodded and ran upstairs to change while thinking of different ways to torture Izumo for not helping her. She had never been so embarrassed.  
  
        The last thing she heard before she closed the door of her room was Mikoto cracking his knuckles and saying with a malicious voice, "Who wants to go first?"

 -  -  -  -  -  -

 

        "You aren't thinking about going without breakfast, right?", Izumo asked when [Y/N] came back downstairs, seeing that she had taken her purse.

        That was exactly what she had intended to do, so she didn't answer. In addition, she was still angry at him for not helping.  
  
        "Come on, don't be mad at me. It was a joke", he said pointing at the breakfast.  
  
        "I gotta go home", the girl replied, looking at the food. It was [*Breakfast*], her favorite.  
  
        "Eat first. Then, you can go", Mikoto intervened authoritatively.  
  
        [Y/N] sighed, sat at the bar and began to eat. Mikoto may not be a monster, but he didn't seem to be very patient and she didn't want to test it for something as trivial as breakfast.  
  
        "Thanks for everything", she said once she finished breakfast.  
  
        She left the bar without waiting for a reply and headed home. She had barely taken two steps when HOMRA's door opened again and Mikoto, along with a happy-go-lucky Tatara, began to walk beside her.  
  
        "King wants to make sure you reach home safe and sound", the brown-headed explained, nodding at Mikoto who just walked with an indifferent expression.

 -  -  -  -  -  -

        A few minutes later, [Y/N] stopped at her apartment door. The door was left slightly ajar. Her hand began to tremble as she pushed the door open to walk in. Ryu never left it open.  
  
        When she entered, her eyes widened at the sight of the state the lounge was in. The drawers were on the floor with their contents scattered everywhere, the shelves were overturned and the sofa was torn. It wasn't hard to figure out that whoever had done this, had been looking for something.  
  
        Feeling worried, she toured every room in search of the whereabouts of her brother. Everything was in the same state as the lounge. After inspecting the whole house three times, [Y/N] returned to the living room and flopped on the floor. _'Where the hell is Ryu?'_. Tatara sat beside her with a concern look while Mikoto merely leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Neither man knew what to say.  
  
        [Y/N] mentally reviewed all the places where Ryu could be.  _'The park? No, that would be absurd. A  friend's house? I only know where Kōsuke lives and if Ryu was there, he would have told me. What was the name of the guy that was going with him to class? Da... Dai something. Maybe Kōsuke knows h..._  ', she was starting to have a headache.  
  
        "How about trying to call him?"  
  
        [Y/N] looked up, surprised at Tatara and then she smiled. How come she didn't think of that before? She quickly pulled out her phone and dialed her brother.  
  
        One ring... Two ri-...  
  
        The girl looked at the two men puzzled, trying confirm that it wasn't her imagination. Ryunosuke's phone was ringing inside the apartment.  
  
        [Y/N] got up and followed the sound, until she reached Ryu's room. On a heap of clothes that were lying on the ground, she found his phone.  _'Why is it here?'_  , she unlocked the phone with her fingerprint to find something that could help her to find where was Ryu. A note appeared on the screen and [Y/N] sighed with relief. If he had time to leave a note he should be fine, right?  


* * *

**_I hope it didn't take you awhile to find the phone. It's the only way I thought that only you can read it. I know I promised to tell you  
everything, _** ** _but it still isn't the right time, the less you know the better._**  
**_T_ _hose men were looking for me, so I left Shizume (by the time you read this, I'll probably be on the plane). I left some money at the  
hidden spot a_** ** _s always, take it and look for another place to live. The fewer things that related you with me the better._**  
_**They will arrive soon, so I'm going now. Don't worry about me, I'll write when I can.**_

 **_Love you, Ryunosuke ❤_ **  
**_P.S.: Don't frown. If I had sent you this message, you would have came immediately and you know it, I didn't want you to meet them._**  
**_And smile, you're prettier._**

* * *

  
        [Y/N] couldn't help but smile. Ryu knew her too well.  
  
        "So, are you coming to HOMRA with us?", asked Mikoto who had read the message over her shoulder.  
  
        "What do you mean?"  
  
        "You don't have anywhere to go, right?"  
  
        Mikoto was right. Besides her brother, she had no family.  
  
        "Shouldn't I be a member?"  
  
        "Only if you want", the King answered, shrugging.  
  
        [Y/N] thought for a moment. The truth was, she had a really good time with them in the short time she was at HOMRA. They were loud, competitive and full of testosterone, but they were also loyal and cared for each other. If Kōsuke was with them, it can't be so bad, right?. In addition, [Y/N] thought Anna could enjoy her company.  _'Who am I trying to kid? I'm looking for excuses. It's not for Anna nor Kōsuke, it's for me. I want to be part of them. They make me feel safe.'_  
  
        "I want to join", she whispered.  
  
        Neither Tatara nor Mikoto seemed surprised. It's as if they knew she would say that.  
  
        Mikoto smiled and extended his hand to her.  
  
        "Then take my hand", he said, as flames begin to surround him.  
  
        [Y/N] hesitated. Only a fool would put her hand in the fire. She looked to Tatara who was still smiling. Both seemed very quiet.  _'It must be some kind of test. After all, they have done nothing but help me, I doubt they would want to hurt me now.'_  Taking a deep breath, she steered herself and took his burning hand.  
  
        Surprisingly, it didn't burn. The flames began to wrap around her slowly. They were warm and reassuring, they comforted her. She felt a slight sting in her shoulder blade and released Mikoto's hand. Soon, the red aura that surrounded her faded and she found herself being  ~~smothered~~  embraced by a smiling Totsuka.  
  
        "Welcome to HOMRA!"  
  
        "T-Tatara ... I c-can't ... breathe", she said, trying to free herself. He, realizing that the embrace was too tight, released her smiling shyly.  
  
        "Sorry, you're the first girl who joined besides Anna", he apologized embarrassed.  
  
        "It's okay", she reassured smiling.  _'I think I smile too much when I'm with them'_.  
  
        "You can talk later. Let's get your stuff and get out of here, kiddo", Mikoto said, leaving the room.  
  
        Although he still maintained his monotone expression, [Y/N] swore she saw him smile.  
  
        Meanwhile at HOMRA, a certain red-eyed girl was grinning broadly, knowing that her vision was fulfilled.


	4. She can't be here!

        "C'mon [Y/N], I want to play that one", Anna said appointing another arcade machine. Upon her arrival to HOMRA, the little girl had cornered her and used the puppy face to convince her to go with her and Eric to the Arcade. [Y/N] couldn't refuse, so they had spent all morning trying the different game machines.

        "The Dance Machine?" she asked, looking in the direction Anna was pointing.  
  
        "Yeah come on!"  
  
        [Y/N] looked at Eric for help. Dancing wasn't for her. Eric tried to convince Anna to play  _Zombie Revenge_  (a zombie shooting game), but she wouldn't budge and refused, saying it was the first time she had a partner to dance with, and wanted to get the most out of it. Seeing that his efforts were useless, Eric shrugged and followed the two girls, smiling at how Anna pulled [Y/N].  
  
        Besides Kōsuke, Eric didn't have a close relationship with the other clansmen. He had recently joined HOMRA and hadn't yet developed the familiarity bond that seemed to link the others together. However, he was very fond of the white-haired girl, Anna was like the little sister he always wanted. Spending the morning together, had become a habit for both and during that time, Eric had noticed that the red-eyed girl  , was sometimes missing something. That morning, seeing as Anna ran towards [Y/N] and tried to convince her to go with them, he realized that what she needed, was a friend to speak, a female figure in the set.  
  
        "You sure you don't want to go to the zombie machine?", asked [Y/N], pleading.  
  
        "Yeah, I'm sure", Anna said smiling, "But you can choose the song, if you want"  
  
        [Y/N], unable to say no to the girl, chose [*Song*] and started dancing with her.

 -  -  -  -  -  -

        Seven songs later, both girls were exhausted and hungry. Eric, who had been looking at his phone most of the time, suggested that they should go eat something, and both girls were more then delighted with the idea.  
  
        Since [Y/N] didn't know the area they were in, she let them take her to a small fast food restaurant that apparently have the best french fries in town, according to Anna that is.  
  
        "Can I ask you something, Eric?",  [Y/N] asked, while they were waiting for the food.  
  
        "Go ahead"  
  
        "What did you think about, me joining HOMRA?"  
  
        Before they left the bar, Tatara had told them not to return late, because he wanted to introduce her to the others as a new official member of HOMRA as soon as possible. At first, [Y/N] had not given any thoughts to it, but as the hours passed, she had begun to wonder what they will think, when they found out. What if they don't agree?  
  
        "What did you think about, me joining HOMRA?", the blond replied after thinking about his answer, "It's the king's decision on who joins and who doesn't. The others will have to accept his choice. If I were Mikoto, I wouldn't have let me join HOMRA, and I know _Chihuahua_ didn't want me to join, but everyone agreed"  
  
        "Personally, I'd glad that you joined. Anna will enjoy your company and I'm sure it would be helpful to have someone who isn't always swayed by testosterone ", he ended after a brief pause.  
  
        "But, what if they don't think it's a good idea?"  
  
        "They would be idiots", Eric said, looking into her eyes.  
  
        [Y/N] smiled. The blond's words calmed her nerves. After all, he was right, Mikoto had let her join, and Anna and Tatara were delighted with it. Izumo didn't seem to care and it was clear that Eric also enjoys  her company. The only thing left, was to wait for the others to accept her.  
  
        "Here it comes!", Anna cried gleefully, pointing behind [Y/N].  
  
        [Y/N] looked at her back and couldn't help but smile again, seeing how the waitress was approaching with their order and a huge tray of french fries. Anna didn't seemed to be a big fan of healthy food.

 -  -  -  -  -  -

        "Say cheese!"

  
        [Y/N] blinked at the flash and covered her eyes, trying to regain her sight. They had just entered the bar, and a smiling Tatara had started to bombard her with pictures, like a paparazzi.  
  
        "You're gonna get me blind!"  
  
        "I'm sorry!", Tatara apologized, but his ear-to-ear smile made clear that he wasn't sorry at all. "It's your first day, so we decided to cherish this moment! You'll thank me someday!"  
  
        "Is he always like this?", [Y/N] asked Eric.  
  
        "Mostly. Thought, he would normally video tape than than take pictures"  
  
        "It's to avoid losing any small details! The times we live together are important and I want to be able to always remember them", intervened the brown-head, leaving aside the camera and turning on the camcorder.  
  
        "So, Anna, tell me, what did you do today?"  
  
        [Y/N] let Anna recount their day to the camera and went with Eric to sit at the bar, where Kōsuke was. [Y/N] felt comfortable talking to them.  
  
        Kōsuke and her brother had always been best friends since kindergarten. Although, in recent years,they had distanced themselves a bit,they always took care of each other. His detachment was probably due to the red-head joining HOMRA. Ryu had always avoided anything related to gangs and clans.  
  
        Their talk was interrupted by the sound of the door opening abruptly, followed by the noisy HOMRA clansmen who had just arrived.  
The first one to realize [Y/N] 's presence, was Chitose.  
  
        "Oi! I thought you were gone this morning.  Couldn't you have waited for me and said goodbye?", he said, putting on a seductive smile. The others, realizing that she was in the bar, fell silent.  
  
        "She's a new HOMRA member!", exclaimed the happy Totsuka.  
  
        The reactions of the boys didn't wait. Chitose embraced [Y/N] and said how happy he was that she was staying with them, Masaomi muttered a "Welcome" and sat down at the bar, where he started to talk with Izumo. Shōhei and Bandō offered to show her around and Kamamoto shook her hand, saying he was glad that there was another girl in the clan. The only one that remained still, was Yata. He didn't seem to know what to do.  
  
        As the seconds passed, and the boy didn't say anything, [Y/N] began to worry, What was he thinking?  
  
        "Is this a joke?", he asked, looking at Mikoto, who was lying down on his usual couch.  
  
        "You got a problem,  _Chihuahua_?", Eric said before Mikoto answered, standing in front of the girl protectively, Yata looked at the blond with hatred.  
  
        "Who the hell is talking to y---"  
  
        "Stop! The two of you", Totsuka intervened, placing himself between the two, in order to prevent the upcoming fight that occurred every time they began to argue. It was the first time [Y/N] saw him so serious.  
  
        "She's with us", said Mikoto.  
  
        "B-but, s-she's a girl!"  
  
        "How sharp...", Eric muttered. The others observed the exchange, saying nothing.  
  
        "So?", The king asked.  
  
        "She can't be here!", exclaimed the boy, who immediately left HOMRA and slammed the door. Kamamoto apologized to [Y/N], of his friend's behavior, before quickly running after him.  
          
         _'What did I do to him?',_  [Y/N] didn't understand what had happened. She couldn't be here? She had been afraid that they wouldn't accept her as a new clansmen, but, really? Just because she was a girl? She didn't understand anything.  
  
        "Don't you worry, Girls make him nervous and I guess that you being here, made him. He'll get over it", Shōhei said, placing his hand on her shoulder.  
  
        "He isn't worth it", Eric added, turning to face her, "You okay?"  
  
        "Y-Yes. It's just ... he surprised me", she replied with a smile to convince them that she was fine.  
  
        However, everyone was staring at her, as if they were expecting her to flee at any moment. She wouldn't, she wouldn't just leave because he didn't want her to be here. None of the others seemed to have problems with her staying here, so she would just pretend she didn't care what the auburn said and would ignore him. Although it mattered to her a little, she didn't want to agitate anyone.  
  
        " _Chihuahua_?", she asked curiously to Eric, remembering how he had referred to Yata as, twice.  
  
        "Eh...", the blond ran a hand through his hair and answered while  avoiding to look at her, "When I arrived, he kept comparing me to a _Golden Retriever_ Kōsuke picked up once, and it was really annoying, so ... you know, they both are pretty much the same size and are always barking "  
  
        [Y/N] couldn't help but laugh at how the blond was ashamed of his somewhat childish behavior. Soon, the boys resumed their conversations and told her some anecdotes of the clan, making [Y/N] stop mulling over the strange behavior of Yata.

 -   -   -  A few hours later  -   -   -

        A red-headed skater crept into the bar. The lights were already off and there seemed to be nobody. Trying not to make any noise, Yata went upstairs and carefully opened his bedroom door. He knew he had no reason to be angry, but he couldn't accept the fact that she joined HOMRA. She was a girl! That meant that they would have to protect her and she would be nothing more than a nuisance in their fights. Also, she was always up with that stupid _Retriever_ , as if they were best friends or something.  
  
        The boy turned on the lights and stood still when he saw Mikoto lying on his bed. Great, he was waiting to telling him off.  
  
        "You're late"  
  
        The boy didn't answer. He put his skate on one side of the room and sat on the window frame, looking at Mikoto and waiting for him to say what he wanted to say.  
  
        "Aren't you going to say anything, Yata? You know exactly why I'm here "  
  
        Of course he knew. That damn girl. The young man looked away, and then looked down. What does the king expect him to say? That girl wouldn't bring anything good, girls always put everything upside down. Before leaving HOMRA he had briefly seen her sad after saying she can't be here, he knew that he had hurt her with his comments.  
  
         _'Maybe she isn't really weak. Only a few people are able to keep their composure when a loved one disappears',_  Yata pinched his nose bridge, trying to ease the headache that had begun to appear. It was very likely that he had been unfair to her for no reason and  knew she was having a bad time. He wasn't like that.  
  
        Mikoto watched the thoughtful Yata's face, aware of the thoughts of the child. Yata was almost as impulsive as he was.  
  
        "Sorry", he muttered without looking up from the ground.  
  
        "You must say that to her," the king said getting out of bed.  
  
        "Whether you like it or not, she's one of us now, Yata. Give her a chance", he said before leaving the room.  
  
        True, he didn't even give her a chance.  _'Tomorrow, I'll apologize to her'_ , Yata thought, before heading to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I didn't update in months. First I had my final exams and then a lot of things happened and I couldn't write (among others, I spent all the summer working on a 12h-monday-to-sunday shift that had let me no free time).  
> I have tried my best but I doubt this chapter worth a five-month waiting so I just want you to know that I'm really sorry for the long wait.


	5. Shut your mouth!

        Yata kicked the dustbin with all his might and watched as its contents spilled all over the floor. He had been at this for about one hour, kicking things in that alley and still didn't feel any better.  _Fuck._  He thought he would only have to give a few reconnaissance laps as all damn days and go back home. Just a routine. Check that everything was in order and ready, he could spend the day doing something with the boys, play video games, chill at the skate park or just lazy around and eat popcorn while watching a bad film at the bar. But no. That damn monkey had to ruin most of the day by following him around the city.

        Normally, the redheaded enjoyed his encounters with Saru. It gave him the opportunity to beat his former best friend for betraying them and show him the power of a HOMRA's _true_ member. Although they fought every now and then, none of their skirmishes had a clear winner, never. The two boys knew each other too well. Both knew most of their strengths and weakness of their opponent, and spending so much time fighting together, they could even anticipate their attacks occasionally. In addition, his fighting skills were comparable because, despite Saruhiko had both the power of the Red King and the power of the Blue King, Yata made up for it with a higher speed that allowed him to dodge almost all the dark-haired boy's attacks.

        His hazel eyes swept across the alley in search of something more to kick, but there was nothing standing near him. A neighbor leaned out a window and started yelling that he was going to call the blues if he kept making noises and banging things.  _Whiner_. Yata didn't want to see anymore blues that day, he had had enough, so he resigned, still in a bad mood, and he went to HOMRA. 

         _Oh God_ , how much he hated Fushimi Saruhiko. 

\-   -   -   -   -

        The bar's door burst open, making everybody stopped their conversations. [Y/N] raised an eyebrow as she saw the redhead coming. What's gotten into him now?

        "Hey, Yata. We assumed that today you weren't gonna coming back soon. What happened?", Izumo asked curious. If the redhead was in such a bad mood, it would most certainly be because of the traitor. What did he do this time to piss him off?

        " _Saru_. That damn monkey's what happened to me", furious Yata said, confirming the blond's suspicions.

        "What happened this time?", asked the bartender.

        "He stole my skateboard! Can you believe it? That idiot stole my damn skateboard and I had to chase him all around Shizume to retrieve it! Next time, I'll kill him! Nobody touches my skateboard!", exclaimed the redheaded.

        " _Damn chihuahua......always barking_ ", Eric muttered quietly. [Y/N] smiled at her friend's comment, she didn't deny that, he had a point. Ever since she joined HOMRA, the redheaded had not stop  ~~barking~~  complaining about everything. 

         "I AM NOT A CHIHUAHUA, MORON! And stop speaking English!", Yata shouted. Apparently, the blond had said it loud enough for the skater to hear.

        [Y/N] turned her chair to face the auburn-haired boy approaching towards them. He seemed really upset. Does he always take everything so seriously?

        " _Oh sorry, I forgot you don't speak English_ ", replied the mocking blond. 

         _'You shouldn't continue teasing him, Eric',_  thought [Y/N], looking from her friend to Yata, who was clenching his fists. 

        "Nobody was talking to you, you damn peroxide blond", Yata growled,  standing a few centimeters from Eric.

        "Someone's in a bad mood...", crooned the blond. "Are you on your days Misaki?"

        Everything happened in a mere second, Yata leaped at the blond and punched him in the jaw causing him to fall back. [Y/N] was able to hold him before he could collide against the bar and break several glasses of Izumo's precious tableware. The blond merely smiled back, knowing that his plan to provoke Yata had worked, and after thanking her help, he charge against the redheaded. _Oh yeah,_  he would enjoy hitting that jerk.

        The two young men began to roll on the ground, punching each other. She couldn't tell which one was winning, but she feared for her friend. She wasn't dumb, if Yata was the vanguard of the clan, it had to be for something. At some point, they both began to wrap themselves with HOMRA's characteristic red flames. She didn't know why, but it gave her a bad feeling. She had to stop them.

        She had barely taken two steps when strong arms surrounded her, preventing her from approaching more.

        "Stay still, baby. Let them deal with it. They have always been like a dog and cat, you won't be able to stop them. If you get close, there are more chances that you would end up taking a blow and I can't let anyone spoil this beautiful face that you have, honey"

        Chitose was right. Blinded by anger as they were, it was almost certainly she would get a blow trying to separate them, but she couldn't stare and do nothing. 

        " _Yō..._ ", said the girl turning into her captor arms to come face to face with him. "Would you do anything to make a woman happy?", she asked with watery eyes. She knew that  using emotional blackmail was playing dirty, but if that was enough to get someone to stop the fight, she would do it.

        "[Y/N]... don't ask me that", replied the supplicant brown-head. Of course he didn't want the young woman to be sad, but taking a punch in his pretty face was something he didn't want too much. He was sure that it was far more complicated to flirt with a black eye.

        "Please... make them stop", whined the girl. They should give her a prize for the best performance of the year, she had even managed to drop a few tears to make it more convincing.

        "Okay", Chitose resigned himself. "You remain here, alright?"

        [Y/N] was nodding vigorously when a loud _*crash*_ was heard, followed by the sound of shards of crystals falling. Silence fell and she turned, fearing the worst. Indeed, the youths had broken one of the bar's windows.

        As they process what happened, all pairs of eyes went back to the bar where Izumo seemed too quiet. [Y/N] took advantage of that moment to run to the blond who was lying beside the window. Fortunately, Eric was still conscious.

        Izumo left the cloth he had been using to dry the vessels and adjusted his glasses. Trying to stay calm, he left the bar and walked slowly towards the two who were responsible for the destruction of one of HIS bar windows. He was going to kill them. First, he looked at Yata who stood by the window and then at Eric, who was lying in the lap of [Y/N] as she examined him with concern.

          "Give me one reason why I shouldn't turn you two into ashes right now", Izumo demanded with a threatening voice. If it wasn't for [Y/N] being beside the boys, he would have kicked them out of the bar. He was holding back the urge to choke them and scare the girl, she's only been in HOMRA for a short period of time.   

        " _It was good to meet you_ ", the blond said softly so only she would hear. [Y/N] was a little surprised that he said it in English, but she assumed it was because he felt more comfortable with that language.

        " _It was good to meet you too, silly_ ", she answered, smiling.  

        "One... two...", began counting Izumo, pulling out his lighter.

        "It was his fault", Yata muttered, pointing to Eric. "I still don't understand why Kōsuke had to pick him up, we would of been better off without him, he only brings us problems.

        [Y/N] glared at skateboarder with hate. Why couldn't he let it go for today?

        " _That's like the pot calling the kettle black..._ " 

         _'You too?'_ , [Y/N] thought. Did they not have enough?

        "DO YOU WANT MORE JERK?!"

        "JUST SHUT YOUR MOUTH!", [Y/N] exploded before Eric could answer. She didn't even realize she was shouting in English at the red-haired until the words left her mouth. Surprised at her own outburst, she covered her mouth with her hands. Now everyone in the bar was staring back at her.

        Not knowing where to hide, she decided to run away and lock herself in his room. _'Shit, if he didn't hate me before, he does now'._

_\-   -   -   -   -_

_Knock, knock._

        [Y/N] stood up and slowly opened the door, scared to see who was on the other side. Luckily for her, it was just Eric.

        "Can I come in?"

        She opened the door widely and stood aside to let her friend enter. He didn't seemed to have disinfected the wounds and his eye began to turn blue. With a sigh, she told him to make himself comfortable and walked downstairs for a first aid kit and ice.

        Once down, [Y/N] watched as Tatara was collecting and sweeping glass fragments while Bandō and Shōhei were covering the window hole as much as they could. She planned to ask Izumo where the first aid kit was, but he was busy talking to someone on the phone. For the few words she managed to catch, he was ordering a new glass, if possible, 'foolproof'. [Y/N] laughed after hearing the those words and cautiously approached the boys. 

        "Do you know where I can find a first aid kit?", she asked trying to sound friendly. She hoped they didn't hate her for shouting at Yata. "And some ice too", she added.

        "Yeah, wait here, I'll get the ice", said Shōhei. 

        "I'll get the kit", added Bandō.

        [Y/N] smiled at them gratefully. When the boys left, she turned to Tatara, wanting to apologize for her previous outburst. 

        "I-... I'm sorr, I didn't want to shout at him. I shouldn't have done it. I just wanted them to stop and --"

        "Shhh, don't worry [Y/N]-chan. No one is angry with you. That fight was something we all saw coming", said Tatara hugging her.

        She hugged him back letting out the tears she had been holding since the disappearance of Ryu. Too many emotions in one week.

\-   -   -   -   -

         Returning to her room, she saw Eric sitting on the windowsill and sat beside him. 

        "Here, put this on your eye", she said, holding out the ice bag.

        The blond just nodded and took the bag while [Y/N] was disinfecting the small wounds that covered his arms one by one. The alcohol stung, but he didn't complain.

        "Are you going to tell me why you provoked him?", asked the girl, while pouring cream onto some arm burns. She was aware that her friend had been trying to make the auburn-headed boy explode.

        "He deserved it", was all he said. Sure, he deserved it. The last day when he was just angry because [Y/N] had joined HOMRA and though she would never admit it, he had hurt her feelings. Moreover, he had long wanted to punch that shorty.

        Aware that the blond wouldn't go deeper into the topic, [Y/N] sighed and continued disinfecting and wrapping his wounds. She expected that Yata also had a few.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And finally [Y/N] and Yata started to argue!
> 
> Poor Yata intended to apologize with her but a wild Saru appeared and soured his day. Poor [Y/N] was resentful with the red-headed because of his opposite reaction to her joining HOMRA and she exploded with him to defend her friend


	6. Look where you step

          "Stop! You're going to burn it all again!", exclaimed Shōhei.

          Frightened, [Y/N] obeyed and the flames stopped.

         "Sorry", she apologized again, avoiding to look at the charred trees around her.

          She had spent three hours trying to control the flames and was already tired, hungry and frustrated. At this time, she was suppose to be with Eric and Anna at the arcade like every morning ever since she joined the clan. But no, Eric had had to stay in HOMRA, like the previous days and the boys, worried that the girl did not come out of the bar, had decided that starting her training would be a good distraction for her.

          After the fight, Izumo had forced Yata and Eric to " _lend a hand"_  at the bar until the offset price of repairing the window which, among others, included: preparing breakfast, lunch and dinner; assist and serve customers; wash the dishes; moping, sweeping and waxing the floor; taking out the trash, cleaning the toilets and bathrooms... Practically, they were being exploited by the blond. [Y/N] and the others tried to help them a little when Izumo wasn't looking because even though they pitied them, no one wanted to risk receiving the blond's wrath. After all, they were all aware of the great love Izumo professed to his bar and also how angry he was with the two for breaking the window.

         "You have to think about what it is you want to do in the time you create the flames [Y/N], forget everything else. Once the fire starts, it is more difficult to control", repeated Tatara, patiently. [Y/N] was glad that at least he was there with her. She was sure that anyone else, would have already been tired of repeating the same thing over and over again and would have given up.

          "I'm trying, It was supposed to be a small fireball. I don't know what I've done wrong this time", [Y/N] replied. She really was trying. The flames were not willing to obey her.

          "Look here", he said, getting right in front of the girl and extending his hand. She saw how a fireball appeared in his palm and how it was taking shape gradually. Finally, the fire became a butterfly beating its wings, as if it's alive.

         Aware that he had impressed her and had all her attention, Tatara raised his hand to his lips and pretended to blow the butterfly at the same time as he made it go towards her. [Y/N]'s [E/C] eyes shone like those of a child who woke up on December 25 and found Christmas presents under the tree. If only she would be able to do something so beautiful...

          "Cocky", muttered Chitose, breaking the magic of the moment.

          Far from being offended, Tatara smiled.

         "It's not my fault that you only know how to make roses, Yō"

          "Women love my roses", protested the womanizer, annoyed.

         [Y/N], who watched the funny exchange, began to form a new fireball, hoping to make the same butterfly. A couple of lumps began to separate from the ball, forming what it was supposed to be wings. She frowned. It looked nothing like Tatara's butterfly and it didn't even move. It looked more like a ball with warts floating slightly on her hand.

          "What's that supposed to be?", asked Bandō, scaring her. She didn't hear him approach her. As [Y/N] lost concentration, the ball/butterfly attempt, shot out.

         "Watch out!", the worried [H/C]-haired warned Tatara and Chitose. The warty ball (as she had decided to call it) was heading swiftly towards them.

         The boys heard her and turned just in time for the ball to pass by Chitose's face, missing him by a few centimeters.

          "What the hell were you trying to do [Y/N]?!", exclaimed the brown-haired. "Are you trying to kill me?!?!?", he asked, pretending to be offended.

         "Mmm... testing your reflexes?", [Y/N] answered innocently.

         "Ha ha ha, very funny", replied Chitose, in a serious tone.

          _'Wait, did he really get mad? It was an accident'_. _'Oh [Y/N], you nearly burned half his face and you're surprised that he's angry?'_

         Seeing the face of concern she had, Yō could no longer keeping expressionless and laughed. [Y/N] sighed, relieved and angry with the womanizer for making her believe that he was angry with her.

         "I hate you, Yō Chitose", she grumbled.

          At least this time, she didn't burn anything. That was an improvement, _right?_

 

* * *

 

         "Yata! Carry these boxes down to the basement while I go buy something", ordered Izumo, pointing at a dozen boxes beside the door. "And you, Eric, when you finish that, go do the laundry", he added, putting on his jacket.

          The blond mumbled an " _Okay_ " while the redhead just nodded as he continued sweeping. How long would he keep them like this? _'It was all his fault!',_  thought the auburn-headed, glaring at the blond that was cleaning the windows for the umpteenth time. Although the bar was shining and everything was in place, Izumo had them do things and clean all the day.

         Yata finished sweeping and left the broom against the wall before taking the first box. The sooner he carries the boxes down, the better. 

 

* * *

 

         "Eric! We're home!", shouted [Y/N], eager to tell her progress on controlling fire to her friend. Finally, after what she had seemed like days rather than hours of practicing, she had managed to create and control multiple fireballs without burning anything. It didn't seem complicated seeing the great control the boys had on the flames and how easy they made it look, but for her, after burning at least a half dozen trees, it was a great achievement. Yet, she had promise to achieve Tatara's level someday.

          "Eric? Are you here?", she asked again, getting no answer. _'He's gone?'_

         "I don't think he has gone _AWOL(absent without leave),_ knowing Izumo, I doubt he did. He has to be doing something", reasoned Tatara as if reading her thoughts.

         "True", she agreed, looking around for the possible whereabouts of her friend. A broom leaning next to the cellar door caught her attention. [Y/N] smiled. _'I found you'_.

 

* * *

 

         Yata finished putting the last box on the floor. He didn't know what was inside them, but they were heavy and he was exhausted. He hoped that Izumo took his time, so he could rest for awhile.

          "Eric! We're home!"

          _'Great, little girl is back',_  Yata ironically thought. At least he didn't see her the whole morning. Since the incident, he was trying to see her as lest as possible, which was a bit tricky considering that she was almost always near the peroxide blond and they both had to remain at the bar until further notice. He doesn't understand why those two get along so well, when they barely knew each other.

 

* * *

 

         "Eric?", [Y/N] called again. _'Come on Eric, the door was open and I hear you. Do you mind answering?'_

          Sulking because her friend doesn't answer, she went down the stairs in a bad mood. She would give a good punch to that idiot for ignoring her.

         She had just walk a third of the stairs when something hit the floor upstairs loudly, making her jump. Being startled, she stepped too close to the edge of the stairs and lost her balance.

 

* * *

 

         Yata was about go upstairs when someone fell on him

          "I-I'm sorry I slipped!", [Y/N] apologized, getting up. "Oh, it's you", she added, blushing when she saw the red head.

          _'Oh, it's you? Who else?',_  he thought confused, until he realized who she expected to see. Again, that stupid Retriever.

         "You're welcome", he said wryly. The least she should do after falling on him, was to thank him, not say 'oh, it's you'. After all, he had cushioned her fall and, although he would never admit it, he placed himself in the girl's path in order to avoid her hitting the ground.

          "Next time, look where you step, _newbie_ ", he added, emphasizing the last word as if it was a bad thing.

         He didn't know what that girl had that made him sulk with just her mere presence. She had something that made him be defensive and attack her. Perhaps it was the fact that she was always near the Retriever and that because of her dear friend, he was being enslaved by Izumo. _Maybe_.

         "Can you be more stupid?", she asked, angry at Yata's tone. She had tried to get along with the redhead, but it seemed to be impossible. The other day she tried to apologize for yelling at him on the day of the fight and even offered herself to help him make the food, but he just said, 'I don't need any help from you', and turned away. She hasn't done anything to make him acting like this and she had had enough.

          "Can _you_  be more clumsy?"

         "You are unbearable!"

         "At least I don't go around throwing down people"

         "I fell! I didn't do it on purpose! At least I'm not a jerk!", Why do they end up arguing every time they talk?  
  
         "Jerk?", Yata asked.

         "That's what I said"

          [Y/N] could see that the redhead was getting angry, but it wasn't her fault that he was stupid.

         "[Y/N]!", Eric called from the basement door, interrupting their discussion. "Tatara said you were looking me"

         "I'm coming!", exclaimed the [H/C]-haired female, grateful for the interruption.

          Yata watched how she turned to go upstairs and ended their arguement. However, the fact that she left with the blond, only worsened his mood, he didn't understand why.

         "What were you doing?", he heard Eric ask, when [Y/N] arrived at the door.

         "Nothing interesting, I was only arguing with a moron"

          Yata clenched his fists after hearing her answer. If she hadn't been so clumsy falling down stairs, they wouldn't have ended up arguing, and if she didn't go downstairs looking for Eric, she wouldn't have fallen. For Yata, it was all her fault. At least he was now sure on why those two were friends: they both were equally unbearable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!


	7. Truce?

_[Y/N] looked in in the mirror for the fifth time before leaving. She didn't know why she was so nervous, after all, it was just Ryu. After making sure that everything was fine, she grabbed her purse and left the apartment, strolling towards the mall, where her brother was waiting. She really wanted to see him._

_The mall was a few blocks away from her house, so she would be there in a few minutes. She looked at the time,  realizing she arrived 10 minutes late, but still she didn't see her brother anywhere. That was weird, Ryu was always punctual, 'Maybe he got caught in traffic'. 'Yeah, that must be it'. Determined to give him a few minutes, she sat on a nearby bench to wait._

_Minutes passed and [Y/N] was getting impatient, so she decided to call him to see if something happened. However, as soon as she grabbed her phone from her pocket, a boy approached her and tugged her sleeve, gaining her attention._

_"It's not time yet", he whispered in her ear._

_Before [Y/N] could ask what he meant, the boy was gone._

_She unlocked her phone to call Ryu and stood up, looking at the time. 17:34. Did that much time pass already? When she arrived, it was 17:10. She started to dial, when two bells ringing interrupted her. 'Two?'. [Y/N] looked at the time, 17:30. That couldn't be, she just looked at the time and it was 17:34._

_Puzzled, the girl looked up and became even more confused. Around her, people were quickly walking backwards. The chimes rang again. 17:15. People began to walk faster, making her head ache when she tried to follow them with her gaze. What the hell was going on?_

_After a few seconds, everything stopped._

_[Y/N] looked around and saw that everything was back to normal. She checked the time on her phone, 17:07. Ryu came around the corner and bagan to approach the mall's door. [Y/N] sighed with relief, it must of been her imagination._

_The [H/C]-haired tried to approach her brother, but something stopped her. She had the feeling that someone was holding her, but no one was there. When she looked back at Ryu, she watched as the men who had chased her a few days ago, approach him._

_She tried to warn him, but no sound came when she opened her mouth._

_Helplessly, [Y/N] saw the two strangers stand behind him. Stranger A looked at her and winked, smiling, while stranger B stabbed Ryunosuke repeatedly._

          [Y/N] screamed.

 

* * *

 

          "[Y/N]! You're dreaming! Wake up!"

          Someone started to shake her gently and took her out of her trance.

          "Are you ok?", Yata asked, worried when he saw the girl open her eyes.

         [Y/N] nodded and looked around. A nightmare. A damn nightmare. Her heart was pounding and she was shaking. A tear slid down her cheek, Yata wiped it away with his finger, blushing instantly.

          "W-What are you doing here?", she asked. Of all the members of HOMRA, it had to be him who saw her like that.

          "I-I heard y-you scream", stammered the auburn-haired.

          "I'm sorry I woke you up", she apologized, embarrassed. If she really screamed, the strange thing was that only he had heard her.

          "D-Don't worry about it", said Yata. The truth was that he was playing a new game and when he heard her, he had rushed to see what happened, leaving the game at half.

          [Y/N] was thankful that the redheaded didn't have a desire to argue with her this time and was being friendly. Although it was only a dream, she hasn't heard of Ryu yet and it made her worry. What if the dream was a kind of premonition?

          "Y-Yata ...", she whispered, still scared. "D-Do you m... doyoumindstayingwithme?", she said quickly. She couldn't believe that she was asking him keep her company, but she didn't want to be alone. At least, not when she just recently had a nightmare. 

          Yata red cheeks intensified even more. Even though the girl had spoken so quickly, he had understood her perfectly. He wanted to say no, that the girl had caused enough problems to him. But he couldn't refuse after seeing her so vulnerable, asking him to stay with tearful eyes. Whatever nightmare it was, it must of been really bad to put her in that state.

          "Please, just until I fall asleep", added the [H/C]-haired.

          "O-Okay. B-but d-don't t-tell anyone", he said, aware that if the others found out, they wouldn't waste the chance to mess with him.

          [Y/N] smiled and grateful embraced the skater. She kept thinking that he was an idiot, but she was glad that he was staying with her.

          "Arigato, Yata-chan."

          When he wasn't saying nonsense, he was lovely with his hobby of blushing at everything.

 

* * *

 

          Tatara got up from his bed, trying not to make any noise. It had been almost an hour after [Y/N] had screamed and he didn't hear Yata come out of the girl's room. Like Yata, he had been awakened by the cry of the girl but, when he reached her door, he saw that the redheaded boy was there and decided to return to his room. It was a good time for both of them to start getting along.

          With the light illuminating from his mobile, the brown-haired male opened his drawer and grabbed his camera, tip toeing his way down the halls. If Yata was really still in [Y/N]'s room, it was most likely that he fell asleep and that would be a good memory to keep. Misaki Yata, sleeping in the same room as a woman.

          Opening the door quietly, Tatara was about to release a cheer. It was even better than he expected. He knew that they were in the same room, but he thought Yata would be in a chair or sitting on the windowsill, not on the same bed with [Y/N].

          Yata was sleeping in the same bed as a girl!

          Afraid that they would awaken and ruined the moment, Tatara quickly took a picture. Once the photo was taken, he quickly returned to his room to verify that it was a good picture.

        The snapshot had indeed, immortalized the moment perfectly. Yata, sitting on the bedspread and leaning on the wall, slept peacefully with one of his arms around [Y/N] while the girl rested her head on his chest. Both seemed at ease. Could it be, that in the future there will be something between those two? Tatara didn't know for sure, but something told him yes.

 

* * *

 

         The sound of a door closing woke Yata. The redheaded looked around to locate himself and nearly had a heart attack when he saw [Y/N] sleeping with him. Well, more like on him and he was holding her. Yata had never blushed so much in his life. Thanking the fact that she hadn't woken up, he got up carefully from the bed and, after tucking her in, left the room.

          Once out, he looked to see if there were any light on or a noise that would indicate who it was that had woke him up by closing a door, but saw and heard nothing, assuming it must of been his mind playing tricks on him.


	8. Extra: Valentine's Day Special

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Set between chapter 6 and 7 approx. That is, when Yata and Eric are being enslaved by Izumo]
> 
> Warning: It's recommended not to read it if you don't have something to eat nearby (at least to me, it made me hungry)

          "Yata-chan! Do you know what day it is?", asked Izumo, smiling as he saw the boy enter.

          "Mmm... Sunday?", he answered , arching an eyebrow. What was that question suppose to mean?

         However, a bulb seemed to light up in the mind of the young man, who smiled with anticipation.  _'It  seems he isn't so lost after all',_  thought the blond seeing him smile, assuming Yata had found out what he meant.

          "Are you going to give us the day off?!", he exclaimed excitedly. Had to be it. The end of the day, everyone had at least one day off a week and Izumo couldn't be so cruel with them, _right?_

          Izumo slapped his hand against his forehead, exasperated. How could Yata be so dense sometimes? Who doesn't know what day Valentine's Day is? For the love of Slate! All shops had been announcing their Valentine's Day products for weeks! It was impossible to NOT see it!

          "It's the love day, baka!", intervened Chitose who had been silent so far, cutting out a red cardboard.

          "Love day?", he asked confused.

          "Valentine's Day", specified the brown-haired, while showing a cardboard heart to emphasize his words.

          "Ah, What a stupid thing", Yata said, crestfallen that Izumo hadn't given him the day off. It would of made him much more happy.

          "You can make chocolates for [Y/N]"~, Izumo suggested, revealing the reason for his good mood today.

          "C-chocolates?", Yata's cheeks soon acquired that characteristic crimson that appears whenever it was something about girls. "W-Why would I m-make c-chocolates for [Y/N]?"

          "Because you likkkkes her? _[*]",_  said Shōhei, wiggling his eyebrows up and down roguishly.

          "Nonsense! I don't like [Y/N]! S-She is unbearable!", He nervously defended himself, causing the others smile with an expression of 'Yes, yes, whatever you say'.

          "I think it's a good idea, [Y/N] and Anna would be excited. They spend their days eating sweets all the time", reflected Tatara. "Besides, they can be friendship chocolates"

          "Alright. Tell to the others. Yata, go with Kamamoto and Bandō to buy the chocolates. Eric, Shōhei and Kōsuke, you are responsible for buying the molds. Chitose, you will go with Tatara and Dewa to buy decorations for the chocolates and something to wrap them in. You all have an hour and a half", ordered Izumo, in sergeant's mode.

          The boys  put their hand on their forehead in a military salute and said a, "Yes, sir" in unison, as neither wanted to be the one that contradicted the blond. Izumo meanwhile, was beginning to regret his idea, but he couldn't take his words back, now that everyone had accepted the plan. He just hoped his kitchen will survive.

         The Footsteps upstairs reminded them that the girls had just woken up. Everyone looked at each other, realizing that if it was a surprise, the girls can't know about it.

          "I'll take care of them", Izumo said. 

 

* * *

 

          "Yata-san, which one should we get?" asked Kamamoto, looking at the chocolate shelf.

          The three boys began to think while scanning the variety of chocolates on the shelf with their eyes. Izumo had not specify what kind they should buy. Does that mean that any would be ok?

          "There isn't one that says,  _'chocolate to make chocolates'_  or something like that?", asked Bandō.

         "No", answered the blond. "There are hot chocolate, powered and some not melted, but none that says  _'_ _to make chocolates'"_

          "Then we just should ask the shop assistant",  suggested the hooded man.

          The three boys look towards the young woman who looked at them suspiciously. Who wouldn't, when a hooded man, a boy with a baseball bat and another guy in a tracksuit walked in your shop looking like a mafia?

          "N-No!" exclaimed Yata. "W-We s-shouldn't bother the g-girls. We'll take one of each kind and go!"

          "Isn't it a bit too much, Yata-san?", questioned Kamamoto.

          "W-well, there will be m-more chocolate for everyone", replied the red head, who nervously started to put chocolate tablets in the basket.

          Knowing that it was useless to try to change his mind, his two companions proceeded to do the same.

 

* * *

 

          Eric watched as Shōhei was looking surprised at Kōsuke and went to see what was making the redhead act that way.

          "Ka~wa~ii", he whispered, as he bent down to look at the molds.

          When the blonde came to his side, he couldn't help but laugh. Kōsuke, with a serious expression but with bright eyes, was watching molds shaped like animals as if they were the most beautiful thing in the universe. In fact, Eric can imagine an aura full of hearts around him.

          "We have to buy them", he simply said.

          The boys were pretty sure that Valentine chocolates aren't suppose to be puppie-shaped. However, Kōsuke was in love with those molds and Izumo didn't specify that the molds needed to have a particular shape so... they decided to buy them together with a pair of heart-shaped molds, in which Shōhei insisted. He didn't want to risk being subject to Izumo's wrath.

 

* * *

 

          "These color chips will also look great on the chocolates", a smiling Tatara said.

          "And these boxes with ribbons are very stylish. No matter how good the chocolates are, if the presentation is poor you lose points with any woman", Chitose added.

          Dewa just leaned against the wall wondering again and again why he had to go with these two. Both Tatara and Chitose were perfectionist, though the last one only when it was something about women. They had spent 45 minutes in the store and would soon have to leave to avoid arriving late to HOMRA. If it was up to him, he wouldn't bother to buy any type of packaging for the chocolates. After all, they were going to make them and they were going to eat them along with the girls. So, why make such a fuss with the details if they'll eat them as soon as they finish making them?

          "Look! A template to make letters! We can put names on the chocolates", exclaimed Tatara.

           _'Please, someone make them to stop',_ he thought with boredom. However, his companions seemed oblivious to his desire to leave the shop. At the rate they were going, they were going to buy half the shop.

-   - A few hours later -   -

          Mikoto was tired of going around with Anna and [Y/N] he was getting desperate. He. Hadn't. Taken. His. Nap.  _'Why does Izumo never have a good idea?',_ he asked himself. They could have decided to do any other thing that didn't involve him getting out of his bed. So much people were needed to make a couple of chocolates?

          "Mikoto-san, I'm cold", said Anna, tugging at his sleeve.

          The Red King extended his aura to surround the little girl and [Y/N], although she hadn't complained about the cold.

          "Arigato, Mikoto-chan", thanked the [H/C]-haired girl.

          Eventually, the girl had grown accustomed to the strange behavior, distant but careful, of their King. Still, it was strange that he had insisted them to go with him for a walk when he would usually spend those hours napping.

          Mikoto felt his mobile vibrate. He had received a message.

          "Let's head back", said the redheaded.

          He assumed the message was the notice that they could now return to HOMRA but he didn't check it. If he picked up the phone just before they go back, the girls would suspect something was up.

-   -   -   -   -

          "What are you supposedly doing?", asked [Y/N], entering the kitchen, followed by Anna. Mikoto had decided to lie down on the couch while they went to investigate the shouts they had heard.

          "[Y-Y/N]!A-Anna!", exclaimed Tatara stepping in front of the girls, in an attempt to hide the disaster that was behind him. "W-what are you doing here?"

          Meanwhile, Mikoto unlocked his phone to review his messages.  _«Shizuphone reports: Only for this month we have extended your phone rate with our wonderful offer: unlimited messages to all numbers. Do'nt be left without sending a message to that special someone this February 14th!»_.  _Ups_. In the end, it wasn't the message to return to HOMRA. The Red King shrugged and closed his eyes. It didn't matter anymore.

          "I think the question is, what are _you_  suppose to be doing......", replied the [E/C]-eyed girl.

          Behind Tatara was Izumo, with his head on the wall and a grim expression muttering,  _"Why?"_  again and again. [Y/N] assumed it was due to the state the kitchen was in.

          Behind the blond, Yata and Eric were discussing what was the best way to melt chocolate, if it's in the microwave, with its aura or simmered. Bandō and Kamamoto were looking at a mountain of chocolate tablets as if they didn't know which one to pick. Kōsuke was carefully pouring melted chocolate into various molds and explaining to Shōhei the importance of filling the molds well so the shapes will be ok. Chitose, meanwhile, was debating with Dewa about what color would look better with each box.

          As if this wasn't enough, they were all covered in cocoa powder which made the scene even more funny.

          "It looks like they are making chocolate", pointed Anna.

          "Or at least, TRYING", [Y/N] added. "Do you guys need help?"

          Ashamed, the boys accepted her help. Actually, the only thing they needed was to be organized , so in just over an hour and a half, they had finished.

 

* * *

 

          "Happy Valentine's Day!", shouted the HOMRA clansmen, offering a box of chocolates to each girl after supper.

          The girls accepted them delightfully and [Y/N] couldn't help but laugh. The boxes were very elegant. Hers was black with a red bow and Anna's was red with a black bow. But the best part was inside.

          One might expect to receive a lot of heart-shaped chocolates for Valentine's Day, but that wasn't the case. Yes, there were several heart-shaped chocolates (one for each letter of the name of the girls) but those representing the minority. The box was filled with chocolate animal shapes: sharks, tigers, dogs, cats, etc. There were even some dinosaurs!

          "Thank you!", [Y/N] said, biting one of the chocolates. "It's so good!!"

         And that was the signal everyone was expecting to start eating the chocolates. They knew that the next day Izumo would make them clean the kitchen thoroughly, but it was worth it. The girls were delighted with the chocolates, (and even more when they found out how many tablets were left) and they had fun making them.

          _'Another great family day'_ , Tatara thought, turning the camera off and sitting down with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [*] If you have seen Fairy Tail, read it with Happy's voice


	9. Fushimi Saruhiko

         When [Y/N] awoke she saw that she was alone in the room and blushed remembering how she had asked the redhead to stay with her the night before and, to her surprise, how he had agreed. A silly smile lit her face, but she didn't understand why. Why does she feel so happy by the mere fact that the unbearable shorty had accompanied her? What was that feeling in her chest?

          It couldn't be that she liked the skater. He hadn't done more than talk with her since she had arrived to HOMRA and half the time he seemed annoyed with her presence. _'But.... I thought he held me while I slept last night'_. If you hate someone you don't hug them right?

          Looking at the time and seeing that it was 9:30am, she decided to get up and go get something to eat for breakfast. Still absorbed in her contradictory thoughts about how adorable Yata can be sometimes and how much of an idiot he can be for the other, [Y/N] stopped on the last step after hearing her name.

          "Oi, Yata. You know what I noticed? That you barely stutter when you talk with [Y/N]", observed Izumo.

           _'True. Except the first day, he barely stutters now',_ thought the young girl, remembering how every time Yata was close to any female, except Anna, he would get nervous and stutter. And not to mention when she needed to talk to someone, even if it was to ask for food or a question.

          "W-what d-do you mean?", asked the redhead.

         "Maybe you don't stutter because you feel comfortable with her...", started Izumo. Although [Y/N] couldn't see him from where she was, she had bet that the blond was displaying one of his sly smiles.

          "C-comfotable? D-don't say such nonsense, Izumo-san!", cried the skater. "She's unbearable! We're always arguing!"

          "Ah, Yata-chan. You've never heard that,  _those who fight love each other_?"

          "T-That's rubbish!"

          [Y/N] could assume that by now, the hazel-eyed boy would be as red as a tomato. For a moment, she thought about leaving her hiding spot and letting them see her, but she quickly dismissed the idea. She was too curious and since the blond had suggested the redhead could hold feelings for her, her heart can't stop pounding. Could it be true?

          "Then tell us why don't you doesn't stutter when you talk to her like you do with the rest of the female population in the universe", intervened Chitose.

          "I d-don't know", muttered the redhead. "I don't even think you can consider her a girl!"

           _'What?',_ was all that went through the mind of the young girl at that time. How can she not be considered a girl? She even wore skirts and dresses!

          "She has breasts... that makes her a girl", said Chitose.

          "B-but she d-doesn't behave like one. Girls don't spend the entire day arguing"

          _'It's clear that he hasn't spent time with any girl other than Anna',_ thought the two boys. Meanwhile, [Y/N], hurt by the redheaded words, exhaled several times until she calmed down, plastered on her best fake smile, and left her hideout.

          "Good morning", she greeted. The boys stopped their conversation immediately.

          "Good morning Sleeping Beauty", said Izumo, as the others nodded in her direction. "Do you want some breakfast?"

          "The truth is, I'm not that hungry. I think I'll take a shower and go out for a walk", she excused herself. Now she looks like she wasn't able to eat anything, she felt an unsettling feeling in her stomach.

          "A bad night?"

          "One of the worst. I thought I saw a bug in my room and I couldn't sleep a wink", she bitingly replied, glancing at the skater. Apparently, he had understood what she meant and was upset because he now was looking at her with hatred. _'You, yourself have deserved it for being an idiot'_.

          "If you want, I can send Yata to take a look", suggested the blond, seemingly oblivious to the hidden meaning behind her words.

          Although it would be funny, [Y/N] preferred that the idiot with the skateboard to not enter her room ever again, so, with a 'I don't care', she said goodbye to the boys and headed to the bathroom to shower, thinking about where she could go next. She just knew that she does't want to be under the same roof as Yata at that moment.

 

* * *

 

          After several minutes of walking, [Y/N] sat on a bench on the riverside. Although Tatara, Chitose and Kōsuke had offered to accompany her, she had rejected on the spot that she hasn't had some time for herself in a while and suggested that it could be good for her. Reluctantly, the boys accepted it after make her promise that she will return to HOMRA before dark. _'It's like having a lot of older and noisy brothers, Ryu',_ she thought, missing her brother once again.

          "[Y/N]?"

          She was startled after hearing name and looked up to see that a young man with glasses had approached her. He wore a sword on his left side and the typical "SCEPTER 4" blue uniform. However, she doesn't remember seeing him anywhere.

          "Sorry, have we met before?", she curiously asked.

          "Yes and no", the black-haired enigmatically replied. "I know your brother"

          [Y/N] jumped up from the bench and stood face to face with the boy. The anticipation was running through her body. If he had approached her, it had to be for something and she was hoping that, that something was news about Ryu.

          "Here", added the young man, handing her an envelope.

          The girl took it with shaking hands and looked at the sender.  _Ryunosuke_. Tears of joy welled up in her [E/C]-colored eyes as she began to read the letter immediately.

* * *

**_It has been nearly three weeks, sis. I'm sorry I didn't write sooner, but I was settling here. I don't know where you're staying and I think it's better this way, so I asked a friend to take care of you and give you my letters. I hope he has't taken too long to find you_ **

**_At the moment I cannot go back to Shizume, but don't worry, we're working on it. I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay before you have an anxiety attack or you get into trouble. Avoid strangers._ **

**_If you have a problem, talk with the blues. Tell them I sent you_ **

**_Love you, Ryunosuke_ ❤**

* * *

 

         We are working on it? _We_? The Blues? What the hell does Ryu have to do with the blues? [Y/N] didn't understand what was happening. She had expected that her brother would clarify some things, not leave her with more unanswered questions. But at least she finally heard from him.

          She wiped away the tears of relief that appeared while she was reading the letter. Ryu was fine. [Y/N] felt a part of the lump in her chest had loosened and sighed relief. She just hoped everything would be sorted out soon.

          Gratefully, she embraced the boy who had given her the letter. The black-haired boy, seemed slightly surprised before slightly patting her on the back, keeping the distances as if he didn't know how to react or as if he wasn't use to physical contact.

          "Thank you...", thanked the [H/C]-haired, leaving the sentence unfinished since she didn't know his name.

          "Fushimi, Saruhiko", he replied.

          Saruhiko. His name sounded familiar.

_«"Saru. That damn monkey is what happened to me"»_

          [Y/N] smiled at the memory. That day, Yata was very angry.

          "Do you know someone called Yata?", she asked, wanting to be sure.

          "Misaki?", answered Saruhiko with a cynical smile. "Let's say we're old friends"

           _'Yeah, friends...',_  The redheaded didn't seem to think the same. [Y/N] smiled. Yata was an idiot if Saru also disliked him, all the more reason to get along with him, right?


End file.
